Catching Steelhead…top ten secrets to success…...if you asked the masters, this is what
they would tell you.

1.Be where the fish are
Steelhead runs are very cyclic. One year a river might be loaded with fish
and the next year it might be marginal. Run timing with in a specific year
will also vary with weather, water and ocean conditions. Use the internet
and telephone to find up-to-date information. Develop a circle of friends, experts & tackle industry
people to call for information.

2. Choosing the right guide.
A good steelhead guide is more than a fish-finder.
Take some time to interview your prospective guide. There are a lot of
different personalities out there. There are also a lot of different
experience levels too. Take time to get acquainted with your guide before
you book a trip.

3. Keep your fly in the water.
Practice casting and presentation continually while you are fishing. Every
cast counts. Learn to be efficient. Your fly will only catch fish when it
is in the water. It also has the best chance of connecting with a
fish when presented at the right speed
& depth.

4. Check for wind knots & abrasions in
your leader.
This is a constant process.
Keep track of your terminal tackle. Many fish have been lost to wind knots and
abraded leaders. An over-hand knot in your leader can reduce the strength
of your tippet by more than half. Remember that you are playing in the fast lane. Anything
that can break will break.

5. Keep your hook sharp.
Carry a file. Any time your hook touches the bottom of the river, check
the point. Use your file. Many strikes have been missed because the hook
was
dull.

6. Stay on the move.
The more water you cover - the more fish you cover - the more biters you
cover - the more fish you put on the beach...simple as that.

7. Be alert.
The more fish you see the more fish you catch.

8. Be prepared.
Do your research. The amount of gear you carry for a boat trip will be
much different than that carried for a hiking trip. Check all your gear before you start your trip. Be
organized.

9. Be comfortable.
Have the right clothing for the conditions you might encounter. Nothing
ruins a trip quicker than leaky waders or forgetting your raincoat, etc.

10. Be relentless
Be relentless - Be relentless - Be relentless - Be relentless - Be
relentless - Be relentless - Be relentless -

Deep in the Sandy River canyon between the Old Man's Hole
and the House Hole is a wooded gravel-bar island named after Indian John.
For the last 40-years, I wondered who Indian John might have been, and am
still not sure. But, an article in the September 2006 Portland
Magazine caught my eye. This is what the inset in the picture says (in
brief):Indian John (??-1893)
Chinook Chief
Settlers in 1890s Portland knew him as "Indian John", an ancient Chinook
elder who entertained with early Oregon legends. John told of meeting Lewis and Clark near the mouth of the Sandy River in
1805, then would show admirers his dearest possession: a small silver spoon,
one of several gifts from the explorers. Sheriff Penumbra Kelly, who had
known John from childhood, told the Oregonian newspaper that at the time of
his passing, the chief was at least 125 years old.
Anyone who can add more to the story; it would be greatly appreciated.

A Toast To
Julie
We got this picture & comments sent to us by email...love to see couples
enjoying fly fishing together.

Rio's
WindCutter is still the most popular winter steelhead spey ling. There are
several reasons why. The WindCutter design has the right head length to
make it easy to cast with the widest variety of spey rods and casting
skill levels. It is a highly adaptable fly line that may be lengthened or
shortened because it has two loop to loop connections in the belly and
multiple accessories that can be adapted to it. Windcuttters come with
(5) 15' tips and two mid-sections in the box. Some very astute winter
anglers have discovered that the WindCutter is even more versatile if you
add some longer sinking tips to your bag of tricks. Longer sinking tips
will often penetrate deeper into the water and allow for special
applications not well covered by shorter tips. A wider selection of tips
can make you more versatile and productive. Normally the front two sections are
removed from the WindCutter and any tip longer thatn 15' is attached to
the rear loop. Since the stock two sections that you are removing are
each approximately 15' long, about 30' will be removed from the head of
your fly line. This will leave the rear portion of the head which
including rear taper is 22'. Most tips that you will use are normally
much shorter than the portion of the fly line that you have removed.
These tips can range in length from 16' to 24'. This will result in an
overall head of a much shorter length than the stock item. On the average
it will also be somewhat lighter in weight. However the longer length of
the sinking portion of the line will allow deeper penetration into the
water. Head and fly line configurations of this nature can also be also
be very handy for fishing under overhanging limbs or anywhere where a
shortened back cast is needed.

Rio Big Boy Sinking Tips

The
RIO Big Boy Series of 24' density-compensated tips are handy in
the 200 grain & 300 grain sizes for eight and nine weight rods. The 400
grain tip is useable on most ten weight rods. This is true for both
single and double hand fly rods. Longer tips get deeper than standard
length tips under many circumstances. Big Boy tips are density
compensated so they tend to sink progressively faster toward the end that
has the fly attached to it. Therefore
it is not advisable to trim them.

Customized sinking tips
can easily be made from Rio T-14 Salmon Trolling line. This extra fast
sinking tungsten impregnated line is gaining popularity for use as raw
material in making sinking tips and shooting heads. T-14 comes in a roll
and can be cut to any length. The most popular application is with the
"spey rod steelheaders set" who use T-14 to build customized sinking tips
for the Rio WindCutter fly line. If tips of more than 16' are being used,
the front two sections are removed from the WindCutter and a T-14 sinking
tip is attached to the rear loop. Most popular T-14 tip lengths are 16'
to 22'.

Another advantage you will have when
using T-14 is the ability to fine tune the casting weight of your line to
fit each particular spey rod.